Method and apparatus of operating channel request and responding to the operating channel request in a wireless local area network system

Abstract

A method for operating channel request and responding to the operating channel request in a wireless local area network (WLAN) is disclosed. A method of operating channel request by a first station in a regulatory domain where an unlicensed device is permitted to operate at a given time in a given geographical area with regard to a licensed device in a wireless local area network (WLAN) comprises transmitting, to a second station, first frame including a first operating class field and a first channel number field, wherein the first operating class field indicates a number of an operating class of a first channel included in a first channel set for operating channel request and the first channel number field indicates a number of the first channel; and receiving, from the second station, second frame including a second operating class field and a second channel number field, wherein the second operating class field indicates a number of a operating class of a second channel included in a second channel set granted by the second station and the second channel number field indicates a number of the second channel.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of operating channel request by a first station in a regulatory domain where an unlicensed device is permitted to operate with regard to a licensed device in a wireless local area network (WLAN), the method comprising:
 receiving, by the first station, from a second station, a list of available channels; 
 selecting, by the first station, a first channel set from the available channels; 
 transmitting, by the first station, to the second station, a first frame including a first operating class field and a first channel number field, wherein the first operating class field indicates a value of an operating class of a first channel included in the first channel set request and the first channel number field indicates a value of the first channel, and the first operating class field and the first channel number field together specify a channel frequency and a channel bandwidth that is requested for use by the first station; and 
 receiving, by the first station, from the second station, a second frame including a second operating class field and a second channel number field, wherein the second operating class field indicates a value of an operating class of a second channel included in a second channel set and the second channel number field indicates a number value of the second channel, and the second operating class field and the second channel number field together specify a channel frequency and a channel bandwidth that the second station has granted permission for use by the first station, 
 wherein the first channel set is operating channels preferred by the first station based on a White Space Map. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first station transmits the first frame whenever the list of available channels has been changed. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second channel set is a subset of the first channel set. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second frame further includes a maximum transmit power field indicating a maximum allowable transmit power on the second channel. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first frame and the second frame are transmitted using a GAS (generic advertisement service) protocol. 
     
     
       6. A method of operating channel response by a first station in a regulatory domain where an unlicensed device is permitted to operate with regard to a licensed device in a wireless local area network (WLAN), the method comprising:
 transmitting, by the first station, to a second station, a list of available channels; 
 receiving, by the first station, from the second station, a first flame including a first operating class field and a first channel number field, wherein the first operating class field indicates a value of an operating class of a first channel included in a first channel set and the first channel number field indicates a value of the first channel, and the first operating class field and the first channel number field together specify a channel frequency and a channel bandwidth that is requested for use by the second station, and the first channel set is selected from the available channels by the second station; and 
 transmitting, by the first station, to the second station, a second flame including a second operating class field and a second channel number field, wherein the second operating class field indicates a value of a operating class of a second channel included in a second channel set and the second channel number field indicates a value of the second channel, and the second operating class field and the second channel number field together specify a channel frequency and a channel bandwidth that the first station has granted permission for use by the second station, 
 wherein the first channel set is operating channels preferred by the second station based on a White Space Map. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the second station transmits the first flame whenever the list of available channels has been changed. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the second channel set is a subset of the first channel set. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the second frame further includes a maximum transmit power field indicating a maximum allowable transmit power on the second channel. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first frame and the second frame are transmitted using a GAS (generic advertisement service) protocol. 
     
     
       11. An apparatus of operating channel request in a regulatory domain where an unlicensed device is permitted to operate with regard to a licensed device in a wireless local area network (WLAN), the apparatus comprising:
 a transceiver configured to: 
 receive, from a station, a list of available channels; 
 transmit, to the station, a first frame including a first operating class field and a first channel number field; and 
 receive, from the station, a second flame including a second operating class field and a second channel number field; and 
 a processor configured to: 
 select a first channel set from the available channels; and 
 generate the first frame, 
 wherein the first operating class field indicates a value of an operating class of a first channel included in the first channel set and the first channel number field indicates a value of the first channel, and the first operating class field and the first channel number field together specify a channel frequency and a channel bandwidth that is requested for use by the apparatus, and 
 wherein the second operating class field indicates a value of a operating class of a second channel included in a second channel set and the second channel number field indicates a value of the second channel, and the second operating class field and the second channel number field together specify a channel frequency and a channel bandwidth that the station has granted permission for use by the apparatus, 
 wherein the first channel set is operating channels preferred by the apparatus based on a White Space Map. 
 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the second channel set is a subset of the first channel set. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the second frame further includes a maximum transmit power field indicating a maximum allowable transmit power on the second channel. 
     
     
       14. An apparatus of operating channel response in a regulatory domain where an unlicensed device is permitted to operate with regard to a licensed device in a wireless local area network (WLAN), the apparatus comprising:
 a transceiver configured to: 
 transmit, to a station, a list of available channels; 
 receive, from the station, a first frame including a first operating class field and a first channel number field; and 
 transmit, to the station, a second frame including a second operating class field and a second channel number field; and 
 a processor configured to generate the second frame, 
 wherein the first operating class field indicates a value of an operating class of a first channel included in a first channel set and the first channel number field indicates a value of the first channel, and the first operating class field and the first channel number field together specify a channel frequency and a channel bandwidth that is requested for use by the station, and the first channel set is selected from the available channels by the station, and 
 wherein the second operating class field indicates a value of a operating class of a second channel included in a second channel set and the second channel number field indicates a value of the second channel, and the second operating class field and the second channel number field together specify a channel frequency and a channel bandwidth that the apparatus has granted permission for use by the station, 
 wherein the first channel set is operating channels preferred by the station based on a White Space map. 
 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the second channel set is a subset of the first channel set. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the second frame further includes a maximum transmit power field indicating a maximum allowable transmit power on the second channel. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second station transmits latitude and longitude information of the second station, the latitude and longitude information including integer and fraction/decimal portions. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second station transmits regulatory class information to the first station.